Although I’m not completely sure on this, but I personally think that the first cooking implement created by man was the knife. Several millennia ago, knives were used by man to gather and hunt for food, and later on used to prepare food when fire was discovered. Today, the knife remains as one of the most important tools you could have. The ubiquitous knife is used everywhere, from homes to restaurants to cruise ships.
But although we can all agree about the importance of this versatile tool, it’s sad to see that very few people know how to properly handle and care for a knife. A friend once jokingly explained that perhaps it’s because knives don’t have instruction manuals.
One of my pet peeves is watching people handle knives wrongly. But then, no one showed us how to use knives properly whe we were little. Our parents just told us that knives were dangerous and to keep away from them. Knives may not come with instruction manuals indeed, but I believe that people who use them regularly should at least take the effort to learn how to handle them correctly.
First, learn how to hold the knife properly. Basically, there are three ways to hold a knife, depending on the knife and what is being cut. When cutting against the board, the knife should be held with the blade between thumb and forefinger. The handle should be held with the other fingers. When cutting hanging meat, hold the knife in a dagger-like fashion to get proper leverage. When using a small knife to turn or peel, it should be held with one or two fingers gripping the blade, with the othersthe rest around the handle.
Learn also how to care for your knives. Use a wooden board for chopping and cutting. Plastic boards are not as gentle on the edge of the knife as wooden boards. Get a board with the end-grain as a cutting surface, rather than side grain. Why? End-grain surfaces are the smoothest, least abrasive surface to cut against, so your knife’s edge will last a longer time.
Always store a knife in a way that protects the blade, such as a plastic sleeve or a paperboard. Clean the knife first after use, then dry before storing it away. Do not wash knives in a dishwasher, or just throw it in the wash basin. Always protect the knife’s edge against other hard objects. It’s more dangerous to use a dull knife than a sharp one, so always keep your knives as sharp as possible. To truly sharpen it, an abrasive surface that is harder than the knife must be used, such as a diamond honer. Using a whetstone needs lots of experience to achieve a fine, razor’s edge.
Azlan Irda is the co-founder of AfterKnife.com, which provides high-quality knives and supplies. Visit our website to get all the automatic knives and supplies you need.
Azlan Irda is the co-founder of AfterKnife.com, which provides high-quality knives and supplies. Visit our website to get all the knives and supplies you need.
- Azlan Irda
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